Editorial comment for this plate:

THE MILKY WAY.

WE present our readers this week with a reproduction of the only photograph of the cloud forms of the Milky Way ever made. It is from a positive by Professor E. C. Barnard, of the Lick Observatory, on Mount Hamilton, and is sent to us through the courtesy of Professor Holden, the director of the Observatory. The negative was made August 1, 1889, with a 6-inch portrait lens, and the position of the center of the picture is

Right Ascension, 17 h. 56 m. | South Declination, 28 deg.

The exposure was three hours and seven minutes in duration. …

The reproduction is by Mr. Gutekunst, of Philadelphia, and “is very good,” in Prof. Barnard’s, opinion. It is from a positive so as to show the stars and cloud forms just as they are in the sky, i. e., white stars and white clouds. We are sure our readers will be interested in this remarkable astronomical photograph.

Edward Emerson Barnard: 1857-1923

Edward Emerson Barnard was an American astronomer. He was commonly known as E. E. Barnard, and was recognized as a gifted observational astronomer. He is best known for his discovery of the high proper motion of Barnard’s Star in 1916, which is named in his honor.—Wikipedia (2026)